Pride's Counterbalance
by Steel Anjel
Summary: "She was so very used to being independent! How could he just take that away without a second thought! Nana sneezed."
1. Chapter 1

**First To-LOVE-Ru fanfic! Heh, normally, I stick to reviewing. But I've decided to give myself the harder job/test as a writer. Tell me whether I should stick to reviewing or not!**

**I don't like putting disclaimers since it feels redundant, but I don't know if they're required either. So to be safe, **_**I do not own any of the characters nor franchises in this** FANfiction._

**Without further ado, let's begin.**

**P.S. This is before TLR-Darkness, so Nana isn't as tsundere-y yet.**

Rito's eyes slowly slid open, seeing the tranquil light coming from his window. He yawned and smacked his lips. That's when he realized it was morning. He knew what happened in the morning. His heavy eyelids snapped apart, and he looked down his body to see none other than Momo, straddling his hips with her shirt unbuttoned.

"YAAH! Momo! Not again~!" he cried, shielding his semi-virgin eyes.

"Ara, you're awake, Rito-san! Your yawn was adorable this morning," She cooed, leaning her face and figure tantalizingly close to Rito's. Rito edged back frantically.

The door slammed open.

"Rito! How long are you-" Nana began, and what was going to be said was caught behind her lips. Her eyes narrowed.

"YOU BEAST! What do you think you are doing?" Nana shouted, jumping on Rito and putting him into a steel headlock.

Rito's tongue jutted past his lips, and he wheezed, "It was Momo…! I didn't-" At this point, he noticed the clock. "Ahh! I'm going to be late." He attempted to get up, momentarily forgetting Nana's headlock. He practically clothes-lined himself.

Nana huffed, "Hmph," and let Rito go. Rito quickly rushed out of the room. Momo smiled and waited. Not five seconds later, Rito rushed back in and said, "Hey! This is my room… can I get dressed in peace?"

Nana scoffed, "Whatever."

Momo sighed. "Ah, okayyy… maybe next time Rito-san?" she suggested with a wink. Rito's face steamed, but before he could respond, they were gone. He sighed as he did every morning.

School seemed to zip past Rito, save for a few, select moments where he ended up in …er… interesting positions whilst mingled with the female body. Those moments seemed to pass in slow motion.

After school, Rito arrived home, rubbing his head to sooth the ache that his resident, self-proclaimed morals enforcer abashedly gave him. The first thing he noticed was that not a soul was in sight. Lala had left school earlier than he had, so he was surprised that she wasn't walloping him in only a towel right about now.

"Mikan! Lala! I'm home!" he called. No one answered, but he heard a small pitter-patter coming his way. A small flower, followed by a head, poked around the corner. Rito noticed and smiled, kneeling down.

The minute, endearing plant-child squealed, "MAAAUU!" and rushed into his open arms. Rito squeezed her gently and said light-heartedly, "Good afternoon, Celine! Is Mikan home?"

"Mau?" responded Celine with a petite finger on her lips and a questioning look on her face. Rito laughed at her expression and put her down, petting her flower softly. She squinted and smiled broadly as he did this. He stood up and Celine planted herself on his ankle, holding on as he walked to the kitchen. Rito chuckled and asked her, "Thirsty?"

Celine replied, "Mau!"

Rito continued, not missing a beat, "Thought so. Here, I'll make you some tea."

"Mauuu!"

At this point, the door opened and Nana cried out, "I'm home! Anybody here?"

Rito heard and replied, "Nana?"

"Rito?"

"Yeah, it's me."

Nana followed his voice into the kitchen and saw him over the stove, tending his tea, with Celine patiently fiddling with the flowers on the table.

"Hey, Nana." Nana nodded her head in response to his greeting, timidly noticing in the back of her mind that they were home alone. Rito continued, "Oh, have you seen Mikan, Lala, and Momo?"

"Ah, Mikan said she had a school conference to go to, and Lala and Momo are shopping. I was with them, but I wasn't interested in anything so I just came home."

Rito nodded, "Ah, I see."

Nana's tummy rumbled and she said, "Hey, hey, I'm starving, can't you cook me anything?"

Rito responded with a hint of irritation, "Oh, am I the maid now?"

Nana glared at him and replied, "Hmph. Well, I can't cook earth foods, and if you're planning to cook for yourself, then you may as well cook for me too."

Rito sighed. She had a point. "Point taken. But I can't cook nearly as well as Mikan."

Nana just waved him off, saying, "Whatever, just as long as it's edible."

Rito laughed at this. "Hehe, well, I'll heat up some water. Want some tea in the meantime?" he offered. Nana seemed surprised. "Ah, um, sure," she answered. She softly finished, "Thanks." Nana grimaced, noting how hard it was to release her pride enough to say a simple "thank you." She wondered why, since she never had trouble with it when it came to someone else.

Rito served her and Celine some tea, and Celine happily exclaimed, "Mau ma-mau!" Nana grinned at her. It was hard to not smile at the child. Nana tasted the tea and was amazed at the quality. Not even Mikan's tea was this good. Meanwhile, Rito sipped his own tea by the stove, while waiting for the water to heat up. When the water was ready, Rito began mixing ingredients. Still, it didn't seem fast enough for Nana.

"Oy, Rito! What's taken everything so long?"

"Aw, come on, the water just finished heating up. Can't you be patient?"

Nana huffed and got up from the dinner, intending to reach for a snack above the stove. Rito noticed right away and tensed. As he expected, her arm moved precariously close to the hot pan. Rito shifted quickly and pushed her arm away from the pan, brushing the pan himself in the process. His eyes widened and he bit back a grunt, with tears forming at the corners of his eyes. Nana noticed what he did, although she didn't noticed his burn.

"Ah! That was close!" she said, before clearing her throat and continuing in a quieter tone, "Um… thank you…" Once again, she berated herself for allowing shyness to creep over her when she attempted to express her gratitude to him.

Rito responded through clenched teeth, "No problem… excuse me, I need to use the restroom. Could you please turn the heat on low?" Without giving her a chance to respond, he rushed off to ease his pain under a flow of cool water. He let out a breath he didn't know he was holding when the frigid liquid touched his raw skin. He quickly rinsed it for another minute and applied a cream.

When he returned to the kitchen, he was half-flabbergasted to see that Nana hadn't turned the heat down, but instead, she was calmly stirring the soup, whistling a tune that randomly made Rito think of an anime character spinning a long vegetable while speaking a different language. It tickled his brain rather intensely. Rito caught her by surprise, saying, "Ah, you're tending to it."

Nana looked up, her lips still pursed, before she recovered and responded, "Oh. Yeah, well. I just wanted to speed things up. I'm hungry."

Rito snickered, "Well, thanks."

Nana squinted at him, "Don't thank me. It's not like I did for you or anything." Rito shook his head in amusement.

In time, the miso soup was prepared and Rito swiftly served both her and Celine, who had developed quite an appetite as well. Nana tasted it and had to do it twice.

She said without thinking, "Wow, this is delicious! Maybe even better than Mika-" She caught herself, realizing that she had unknowingly complimented Rito, which bruised her pride big time. Rito chuckled self-consciously and said, "No, no, it's nothing. Besides, it's one of the few things I can cook without making a mess." Nana smirked, secretly relieved that he hadn't mocked or teased her for the compliment.

When Nana and Celine finished eating, Celine squealed, "MAU!" and she rushed off to the living room. Nana smiled and followed her. Rito stayed in the kitchen and did the dishes.

At around this time, the others came home. Mikan shouted, "We're hooooome!" Rito yelled across the house, "Welcome home!" while Nana greeted them at the door. Momo was the first to notice.

Momo teased, "Oh my, Nana, it looks like you and Rito were home alone together! Don't tell me you did ecchi things."

Nana turned red and retorted, "What? Like I would ever do anything with that perverted, shameless beast!"

Lala asked, slightly confused, "Ehhhhh? Shameless and perverted? Rito's not like that."

Nana responded, "Of course he is! He's always messing around and groping girls!"

Mikan wisely left the conversation alone, walking past the kitchen just in time to crash into Rito, leaving them in a brutally awkward silence, with Rito above her on the floor. Rito's left hand had land on her waist and his right hand just above the valley of her chest. Mikan blushed slightly and said, exasperated, "Come on, Rito, it's too late for this." Rito frenetically scrambled to his feet, babbling, "Sorry, sorry, didn't mean to!"

Back with the princesses, Momo smirked now and said, "Oh? Name an example."

Nana immediately began, "Are you kidding? Just loo-" Momo interrupted, "Wait, I meant an example in which he did it on purpose."

Nana froze with her mouth open. She couldn't answer honestly, and this unnerved her. She just scoffed and shook her head in denial.

Later that night, Nana shuffled under the covers in her bed. She kept trying to think of a time when Rito had knowingly and willing did something "ecchi" to her or anyone else. She couldn't do it. She really couldn't do it. Without her consent, her mind shifted to a different question: When had he something _for _her rather than _against _her? Irritation and subtle warmth filled her when she came up with more answers than that of her previous question. Now, she realized why she found it difficult to thank spiky, orange-haired boy. He made her feel vulnerable. Whenever he came to her aid, she became conscious of how she needed him at that moment, regardless of how independent and headstrong she believed herself to be.

She was so very used to being independent! How could he just take that away without a second thought! Nana sneezed. What's worse, is that she felt like it was perfectly fine. She shook her head. That was it. She was going to forget about this war in her mind. Sleep overtook her quickly.

_Nana smiled at Celine who pointed at a cabinet. She glanced at her sisters, Rito, and Mikan, who were also at the table with her. Extending her leg to ease out of her chair, she blinked. Within that blink, everyone at the table but Rito disappeared. As her foot hit the floor, said floor dissolved. Or maybe it was never there in the first place. She didn't know. All she knew was that she was falling through an abyss filled with orange spikes pointing in every which way. It seemed like ten minutes before a hand grasped hers tightly. She looked up to see Rito standing on a transparent floor, with his hand ghosting through it, and with a tender smile on his face. She hadn't even travelled a foot. She held on tight, but to no avail. As minutes went by, her grip weakened and slipped, bit by bit. She wailed when her hand was just about to leave his. The instant her hand broke the contact, she could only watch as Rito fell into the abyss. It took her an instant to realize that their roles had been switched when she let go. All her power and she couldn't do a thing. She just watched him fall, with the same tender, satisfied smile on his face._

Nana gasped and jerked up. She spent a few seconds catching her breath and extended a hand to wipe the cold sweat off of her forehead. She shivered as the dream reentered her mind. She stood, pillow in hand, and made her way down the hall leading to Rito's room.

**Fin! **

**I've always wanted to see a RitoxNana fanfic, since her tsundere-ness is almost as awesome as Yui's. But I've never seen one…**

**I actually found Nana quite hard to interpret. Momo is flirtatious. Lala is innocent and outgoing. Yami is serious and no-nonsense. Haruna is shy. Run is half-Momo, but has a more serious view on relationships, I suppose. And Yui is Yui. 'Nuff sed. **

**But Nana… she's aggressive like Kotegawa when it comes to ecchiness, but not as infatuated with Rito YET. She's not shy, for the most part. She's usually serious, but casual…. And prideful… but she likes Rito deep down… like abysmally deep down.**

**I dunno. I wanted to make this a bit more comedic, but it's hard to be realistically comedic with Nana without Rito stumbling on her and Nana blowing up in his face. **

**Also, I've checked over this, and I think I've defeated all grammar errors, but let me know if I'm using a certain phrase too often. I like variety. :D**

**Oh well, did my best, I guess. ^^ I'm leaving this open for continuing, if requested! Tell me what you think! Maybe I'll toss in a bit of fluff. ;P**

**The winds of time roam never ceasing**

**The wants of men change not at all**

**When all is said and all is done**

**The world still spins**

**And life goes on**

_**By Windamian Orphan  
><strong>_

**Elden, if you're out there, please come back. The TLR fanfic community needs you. **


	2. Chapter 2

**First off, thanks so much for all the reviews and feedback! I really appreciate it! **

**I've decided to continue the story, although the plot has expanded and/or been given a slightly different "vibe". From the very beginning, I didn't intend for this fic to have a thick plot. So, I apologize if the rest of the story comes out rushed or not well thought out.**

**What? Oh, sorry, I'm wasting your time, aren't I? Ok, fine. Here's another chapter kindly written by the deranged hermit that lives in my brain. Careful, though. He's very eccentric and equally as unstable.**

_**I do not own any of the characters nor franchise in this FANfiction.**_

Rito yawned. 'That was a nice sleep…' he thought. As per the usual, he prepared to get up before he remembered and squeezed his eyes shut.

He timidly asked, "Momo?...Lala?"

With an audible gulp, he took a risk and opened an eye. Air whooshed out of his chest when he saw the lack of scantily clad, pink-haired females.

Rito rubbed his eyes and said to himself, "Ah, seems like a good day today."

He quickly dressed himself for school and rushed downstairs to eat breakfast.

Mikan greeted him, "Mornin', Rito."

Lala brightly said, "Ah, Rito! Gooooood mooorning!" She jumped up out of her chair, knocking it over, and approached Rito in what would most appropriately be called "tackling." Momo and Nana were nowhere in sight.

Rito, though he should've, didn't expect it and ended up on the floor. "L-Lala! Mmph, I can't breathe!"

"Ehh?" She looked down at her chest. "Ah, sorry, Rito!" Bouncing onto her feet, she watched as a vividly scarlet Rito gasped for breath. She held out a hand to help him up which he gladly took. He regretted it.

Once he grabbed the hand, Lala tugged upward quickly. That is how Rito spent the morning trying to get his head out of the ceiling.

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><p>"Soooooo? How was it?"<p>

Nana looked up at Momo from her magazine, "Huh? How was what?"

"Your rendezvous with Rito last night, of course!" Momo responded slyly.

Nana's breath caught, and she looked away to hide her blush. "H-how do you know?"

Momo grinned, "Oh, please, I asked first. Besides, it's not like that matters."

Trying to absorb the heat in her face, she looked at Momo, "You were going to his bed too, weren't you?"

"Maybe. But answer my question."

"I… I'd rather not."

Momo smirked, "Why? Was it incredible?"

Nana's eyes widened, "N-no! Look, nothing happened! That beast didn't even know I was there!"

Momo shrugged, "Aww, too bad. But did you like it?"

Nana stood and proceeded to exit the room, saying, "I don't want to talk about it."

After she left, Momo giggled to herself, "She really likes him!"

* * *

><p>"Ahhh, I'm exhausted!" Rito exclaimed with a stretch. The ancient teacher had just finished his last lecture of the day, and Rito was ready for a nap. After a short snooze on his desk, he stood and sleep-walked out of the door. This wasn't very wise.<p>

He instinctively shut his eyes, and when he opened them, he saw the smirking face of Risa.

"Oh, my, Yuuki! Are we feeling bold today?" she giggled.

Rito glanced at his hands. One decided on her chest, and the other chose her upper thigh.

"Augh! Sorry, sorry, I didn't mean it!" However, his words didn't make it to Kotegawa.

Enraged, she proceeded to stomp him to pieces, shouting, "Shameless, shameless, shameless!"

After the savage beating, he mumbled through his swollen lips and bruised cheek, "…accideeennnnnt…"

Risa heard him and said flirtatiously, "Yuuuuki, I don't mind, but choose a better setting next time, ok?" She winked.

Kotegawa shouted, "Risa!"

Risa shrugged and withdrew to a smiling Mio.

Rito got up with several crisp cracks rippling down his back. "Ehh… I'm going to head home, guys, I'm tired."

Lala exclaimed from behind him, "Ah! Wait for me, Rito! Yui, are you coming? Isn't your home in our direction?"

The morals officer responded, "Oh, um… yeah… ok, bye, everyone." They set off in the direction of home.

From the shadows of the school, a lone figure watched.

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><p>Lala squealed, "Oh, look! A kitty!"<p>

Kotegawa's attention was taken, and she looked in the direction Lala was pointing. Rito looked as well.

Lala ran up to the shiny black cat. The cat looked at her and didn't seem the least bit fazed. The princess kneeled and extended a hand to pet the cat's head. With a subtle purr, the feline inclined its head and allowed her to pet it.

"Look, Rito! It's nice!" she beamed.

Kotegawa approached the cat as well and smiled when it moved to rub against her leg. Now, it purred noticeably.

Tiredly, Rito walked up the cat and knelt down. From a few feet away, the cat hissed at him. Rito blinked. Going against his most obvious instincts, he extended a hand toward the cat. Fangs bared, the cat swiped at his hand with claws extended. Rito yelped and snatched his hand back.

Kotegawa giggled, "Looks like it doesn't do well with boys."

Rito gave her a look.

Lala laughed as well, "Hehe, sorry, Rito, I'm sure it's not you."

Rito smiled, "Eh, I'll get over it."

They reached the junction that marked Rito's house and parted ways with friendly waves. As they walked through the door, Lala said, "Rito, I'm going to take a shower, be back in a lil'!"

"Mm."

"Welcome home, Rito," Mikan called from the kitchen.

"Thanks, Mikan!" he called back.

From the living room, he could hear Nana and Momo arguing about which TV show to watch. He trudged tiredly to his room, and as soon as he passed through the living room, Nana fell silent and looked away. Momo stifled a laugh.

Rito noticed and inquired, "Um… Nana? Is everything okay?"

"F-fine!"

Rito shrugged and responded, "Well, if you say so."

* * *

><p>Yami cringed and twitched.<p>

"Listen! I'm here on business. Do not get involved and do not alert anyone."

Through the pain in her side and hand, Yami forced out, "I can't promise anything."

"I never asked you to. Just stay OUT!"

Struggling not to grind her teeth, Yami responded, "You haven't changed. Very well, I'll stay out. I won't say for how long or under what conditions. Just business."

"Hmph." The figure turned, releasing Yami who fell to the ground. The figure withdrew a small sphere from a pocket and tossed it at Yami's feet.

Her eyes widened, and she shut her mouth. Still, the smoky haze that erupted from the bomb burned her eyes and rendered her blind for a few moments. When she finally regained her senses, she slumped to the ground, panting. As she sat catching her breath, she felt the pain in her side suddenly leave.

She gasped at the reprieve and reached for the device implanted under her ribs. She clenched in preparation and tore the device off, leaving a palm-sized absence of skin. With a sigh, she fell unconscious.

* * *

><p>Momo, who had been holding it in while Rito was in the room, finally let out a laugh. She giggled, "Oh, Nana, what's the matter? Remembering last night?"<p>

Nana huffed, "No. Why would I remember such a mistake?"

"So you think it was a mistake?" Momo sighed, "Oh well, maybe you'll see the truth some other time." Momo sauntered away.

Nana groaned and couldn't help but recall the night before…

_She cautiously opened the door to the boy's room…_

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><p><strong>Hi! Apologies for interrupting Nana's flashback.<strong>

**Y'know, it really bugs me that this chapter is half as long as the first. I feel like I'm failing a standard. Eh. Whatever.**

**Anywho, want to know a secret formula? Mkay.**

**(Human+boredness) – Laziness + Reviews = Motivation!**

***Ahem* I should go. This message is brought to you by me in place of the brain-dwelling hermit. He approves of this message. Or not. I'll never know. He's not very talkative. **


	3. Chapter 3

**HI! I finally got around to actually writing the next chapter of this fic. On a completely different note, you all may need to bear with me as best you can until I get this fic-writing thing down. Often, the fics I write progress very slowly or sometimes not even finish. That, and my lack of premeditation and organization, is something I'm working on. So, gomen!**

**Anywho, here's the next chapter!**

_**I do **_**NOT **_**own TLR! Good thing too, because my drawing skills are in worse shape than the brain-hermit's sanity.**_

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><p><em>She cautiously opened the door to the boy's room. Peering inside, she saw him lying in a characteristically awkward position with his mouth open. A soft snore resounded throughout the room. She sighed in relief. Nana looked back down the hallway, feeling torn. Unbidden, the sight of Rito's hand leaving her own flashed in her mind. She winced. <em>

_Doing her best to keep quiet, she tiptoed into the room and carefully shut the door. She took a step forward, and, kneeling next to Rito's futon, she gingerly touched his shoulder, trying to reassure her mind that nothing had happened to him. _

"_That's it. He's fine. You can go back now," she thought to herself. Glancing down to her arms, she saw the pillow she had brought along. Her eyes widened at her unconscious preparation. She looked at him once more and silently groaned in resignation. _

_Making sure he didn't wake up, she slipped under the covers next to him. After placing her pillow, she lay and turned to gaze at him. An unexpected smile graced her face. He looked so innocent in his sleep. She closed her eyes and regretted it when the dream reentered her mind. Keeping her eyes closed, she grasped the hand that she had let go in the nightmare._

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><p>Rito slid out from under his desk once the elderly teacher dismissed the class. He quickly put away some papers and joined his friends who were on their way out.<p>

Saruyama exclaimed, "Yo, Rito!"

"Yo, Saruyama, what's going on?"

"Eh, nothing much. Hey, I wanted to ask you! Do you have direct connection to Riko by any chance?

Rito blanched.

Saruyama continued, "I've really been wanting to see her again, but I can't seem to find her." He gazed upward, and the slightest amount of drool peeked out of the corner of his mouth.

Stuttering, Rito responded, "Uh, n-no, I can't say I can help you…"

"Aww man…"

From behind him, a pair of arms grasped Rito and pulled him close.

"Rito! So many interesting things in class today!" Lala exclaimed. Rito, mortified at the proximity of her chest, fought his way out of her grip and rubbed the back of his head.

"Heh, um, yeah, I guess," Rito responded. Personally, he found the lectures duller than usual.

"Hello, Yuuki-kun!"

Rito turned once more to see Haruna walking and waving at him. "Ah, Sairenji! How ar-" Rito faltered when Haruna tripped and fell in his direction. Bajillions of platoons of thoughts rushed through his head at breakneck speed. _Should I catch her? What if I accidentally grope her or something? Wait, no, she could get hurt! I need to man up and help her!_ Instinctively reaching his arms out and kneeling lower, he braced himself for the worst.

In a blindingly invisible flash of luck, he caught her against his chest. Rito blinked, confused at the lack of mishap. Haruna, who had shut her eyes in preparation for an impact, cracked them open when said impact failed to come. She looked up at her savior, took a moment to process her position, and squeaked.

Haruna jumped up and stepped back, saying, "Ah! Sorry, Yuuki-kun!"

Rito, who had been recently recovering from the miracle himself, looked at her and laughed modestly, "Oh, no, no, it's fine!"

Haruna blushed and cast her eyes down, "But… thank you."

Rito just nodded, a blush adorning his own face.

* * *

><p>"And that's how I destroyed one of Papa's battleships!" Lala said innocently.<p>

Kotegawa looked at her in a deadpan and remarked, "That's not something to take so lightly…" but Lala didn't notice.

Rito just laughed nervously. However, his laugh was interrupted when he bumped and toppled none other than Yami. This time, Yami's mood was worse than the norm.

Rito groaned in preparation for the agonizing pain he was about to experience. Yami obliged.

"I…hate… ECCHI!" Rito jumped and scurried to avoid being chopped to pieces. Finally, Yami settled for a hair-fist to the face into the floor. Alliteration, ftw.

With eyes lined with red veins, she growled, "Remember, you are my target, and I am your killer." In a softer tone, she continued, "Stay vigilant, Yuuki Rito…"

From his spot on the ground, Rito nodded frantically, but he couldn't help but notice her tone. She seemed tenser today. He didn't dare bring it up, though.

The rest of the walk home was uneventful, as was dinner.

* * *

><p>"Lala… I need to ask you a few questions…"<p>

"Hmm? Nana? What is it?"

Nana fidgeted, glancing around their portion of the house. "Um… I've been… different around Rito lately…" Lala's interest was quickly grasped.

Lala inquired, "Different? Like how?"

"I… I don't know. He's just a beast to me… but at the same time… I w-worry for him, sometimes… ugh, what am I saying?" Nana inwardly cringed at her own words. She now wished she hadn't brought it up. Talking about this was suddenly the last thing she wanted to do. Her pride was dwindling further and further, and she hated it.

Lala put a finger on her chin, "Mmmm…" She suddenly perked up and said brightly and bluntly, "You have feelings for him!"

Nana blinked. She was afraid of this response. Yet, she knew denying it would be pointless.

"I-I know! But… what are the feelings, exactly?..."

Lala thought for a moment. She then said in her usual, carefree way, "Well, who knows? You need to figure that out for yourself."

"How?"

"Spend time with him!"

Nana paled, "E-ehhh? How can do t-that? I can't just invite him somewhere. He'll get the wrong idea!"

Lala responded, "Ah, I know! Rito said he was going shopping tomorrow after school. You should volunteer to go with him!"

Nana's eyes widened at the prospect. "B-but-"

"No buts! Don't worry, it'll be alright!" Lala interjected gaily.

Nana sighed and said, "W-well… I suppose it'd be okay."

She walked downstairs to the living, hoping to wash away her worries with some TV. To her dismay, Rito passed her in the hallway, his shoulder brushing hers. She stiffened and just barely stumbled, but Rito noticed.

"Umm, Nana, are you sure you're okay?" Rito asked.

She didn't respond at first, and Rito continued, "Maybe you're getting sick."

She turned to face him and deny it, and she found herself inches from his face. He pressed his forehead against hers. For a second, she remained frozen in place, her eyes fixed on him.

"Hmm, you don't feel-"

"What do you think you are doing, you beast!" she squealed and slapped his face with the force of a thousand suns. His head hit the wall, and he slumped to the ground with anime swirlies in his eyes.

Nana had since turned and fled towards the living room. She slumped on the sofa and shut her eyes tightly, attempting to diffuse her blush.

"No way. No way can I deal with this tomorrow. No possible way."

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><p><strong>I know, I know, there hasn't been much NanaRito since the first chapter, but fear not! The next chapter will have more of them. :P**

**This chapter took unusually long. I got distracted around the middle and ended up browsing youtube for tips on fight scene choreography. O_e That stuff is hard to pull off when my friends and I film. _**

**I am currently debating on- **_**pzztztztzzz**_

_***In a booming voice* Hello. I am the hermit from within the author's mind. I have been watching you. In a, erm, non-creepy way. I digress. Also, I am here to command you to review. If you don't, I will assault your mind and perform a devious act of inception. You don't want this…**_

_**Pzztztztzzz- **_**whether or not to begin a new TLR fic now, or to simply wait until I finish this one. If you leave a review, give me your thoughts and preferred couple.**

**L9erz! (yes, I intended to put a nine.)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Frankly, I'm a bit irritated by the stagnant phase the TLR fanfic community is in. _ No one seems to be updating or posting. So, I'll just throw this in to break the chain of blankness. :D **

**Actually, I was hoping to write this chapter as a Valentine's Day special, but I realized that the characters needed to progress a bit more, so a Valentine-sy chapter may have been an unreasonable stimulus.**

**Let's begin then, people!**

_**I don't own TLR.**_

**As a side question, would someone please tell me whether or not the disclaimer is necessary/required? I find it rather redundant since this is FANfiction…**

* * *

><p>Slipping his shoes on carelessly, he retrieved his wallet from his jacket.<p>

Rito called from the front door, "Mikan, do you have the list?"

Emerging from the pantry, she responded, "Yep, here you go." She handed Rito a piece of striped, pink paper with flowers on it.

In a deadpan, Rito asked, "Um… how about next time you use normal paper? I'll look like a pansy carrying this thing around."

Mikan smirked at him, "Won't be too far off." Celine, who was clutching Rito's ankle, seemed to understand and giggled gaily.

"Hey!"

The young brunette laughed and skipped towards the living room. By nature, Celine jumped away and followed her.

The second princess of Deviluke emerged from said room at this time.

"Um, Rito?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you need any help with the, uh, groceries? I have nothing better to do so…"

Rito shrugged and replied, "Yeah, sure, thanks." He reached for the door and opened it wide, letting Nana pass through.

* * *

><p>Nana took a breath of fresh air, reveling in the subtle scent of a blossoming spring. Rito took notice as well and smiled to himself, hoping it would be an uneventful day for once.<p>

As they were walking, Nana cocked her head in curiosity. "Yami?"

Rito, who had been looking over the list, widened his eyes and snapped to attention. Sure enough, the self-proclaimed assassin stood a few paces in front of him, ordering her taiyaki from her favorite vendor.

Yami looked at them with her usual, indifferent expression. Without speaking a word, Yami turned her longest hair strands into blades, clearly not in the best mood. Nana blinked, but Rito squeaked. Placing all of his concentration on safety, he semi-forcefully guided Nana in a wide circle around Yami. Nana instantly became very conscious of the hand on the small of her back that Rito was using to guide her.

Unexpectedly disconcerted, she reacted by twisting away and slamming her hand into his side, shouting, "Where do you think you're touching, you beast!"

Rito stumbled, and once he quickly processed where and on whom he'd be landing on, he curled in a ball, sliding to Yami's feet.

Yami seemed quite pleased at this. "You're thinking faster, Yuuki Rito. That is good. You'll need it so you can survive my attacks."

Rito poked his head out from his ball and inquired in confusion, "Wait. So you want me to surv-"

Yami kicked him.

* * *

><p>Rito groaned, rubbing his new, multihued bruises.<p>

Nana huffed, "Hmph. I think you deserved it…"

"But… but I didn't… Ah, never mind, let's go get the snacks."

Nana sighed and followed. As they entered the snacks aisle, something caught Nana's eye.

"Oh! My favorite cookies!" Nana exclaimed, running over to grab them off the rack. The rack nearly toppled from the sudden jerk.

Rito grimaced, "Hold on, Nana. I don't think we can get those. They're kind of expensive. We'll just get these ones," pointing at the round, reasonably-priced ones.

Nana glared, "But these ones are shaped like animals."

Rito gave her a look as if to say, "Seriously?" It took Nana a moment before she realized just how ridiculous her argument sounded.

She hastily declared, "A-and they taste better! That's why I want them."

An elderly woman noticed the two, and chuckled to herself, "How adorable, that young couple is playfully bickering."

Nana blushed in a matter of milliseconds and whirled around to protest, "T-this isn't playful! And who would be with this monster?"

Rito just laughed, remembering a similar scene from when he and Kotegawa were walking with Celine.

Falling silent, Nana took a moment to calm herself. She felt slightly frustrated. Deep down, she knew it was because Rito seemed to agree with her that they couldn't be together; at the very least, he didn't even make an attempt to counter her statement. She'd never admit that to herself, though. She just exhaled in an exaggerated fashion and grabbed her favorite cookies before walking on to the next aisle.

It was at this point that Nana became unconsciously aware of Rito. She noticed him looking a snack that he usually buys for himself. However, she saw him glance at the cart and the pack of cookies she got, and he put his snack back. She noticed when he realizes a girl his age left her purse on one of the racks. She just watched as he grabbed the purse and ran to catch up to the girl. Unintentionally, she became inwardly livid when she saw the girl thank him timidly and flash a couple of flirtatious smiles his way. Rito, of course, didn't pick up on it. She noticed his almost automatic tendency to hold the door open for her when necessary. The more shops they stopped at, the harder she found it to fault him with being a beast. He even offered her some ice cream from a nearby vendor, much to her enjoyment and gratitude.

Finally, she noticed that she had been noticing. Her eyes widened, and she shook her head, attempting to clear her mind. They were on their way home at the moment, and the sun had just begun to caress the horizon.

In no mood to dwell on her feelings, she says, "Hey, Rito. Can we take a shortcut? I want to get home faster." At the time, it had never even occurred to her to fly away using Lala's wing device.

Rito looked at her and down the narrow alley she was pointing at. After examining the alleyway skeptically, he shrugged and consented.

As they walked down the alley in silence, Nana glanced at him from her position a few feet back and to his right. The setting sun brightly highlighted his bronze-orange spikes. She looked away abashedly.

They turned a corner when they were met with a startling sight. A man stood, adorned with a long cloak and hood. His face was hidden. Instinctively, Rito moved in front of Nana, surprising her.

The man chuckled, "Hmm. Move, boy. She's mine."

Rito shivered at the smooth and obviously deceptive voice. "N-no. I won't."

The man chuckled once more and Rito caught sight of his hand which was deftly twirling a razor-sharp balisong.

Nana noticed as well and grabbed Rito's shoulder, whispering, "Wait, Rito. It's okay, you can step aside. I'm Devilukian, remember?"

Rito impulsively began to protest, "But-"

As soon as the word left his mouth, he realized in dismay that he had a much lower chance of beating him that she did.

Before Rito could respond to her, though, the man spoke, "Hmph, you've got guts. Fine, I'll let you go, just because you're man enough to stand your ground. Plus, I don't really want a fight…"

The man walked away grudgingly. From a nearby rooftop, Yami watched warily.

* * *

><p><strong>Ah, that was refreshing. I need to write more often. <strong>

**Hope you enjoyed the chapter! If you did, review! If you didn't, review!**

**Isn't it funny that you learn more things from bad reviews than good ones? For the most part at least.**

**In other news, you cannot begin to fath- **_**Pzztztzz**_

_***In a squeak, high-pitched voice* Hello! Indeed, it is I, the brain-hermit. I am not here to ask you review. But seriously, did you notice that one part in the story? Was it too much? Not enough? You probably feel like telling me now, huh? That's okay, cuz there's a review button!***_

_**Pzztztzz- **_**om how hungry I am. I ate dinner really early so I'm afraid I shall now have to eat a late night snack. **

**In other, other news, please, if you are reading fanfics, try your hand at writing one! Help get this community bustling. =D**

**L9erz!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Another chapter for you loonies! :D Nah, I kid, you guys are awesome.**

**Now, down to business. I'm still new to this story-writing thing, so… actually, you know what, never mind. I'll just go with it and make sure not to make any mistakes twice.**

**I do not own TLR! Not one has told me whether this is necessary or not yet...  
><strong>

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><p>Rito, who had insisted on walking behind Nana for safety, sighed when he came out of the alley. The afternoon twilight was now nearly obsolete. Taking its rightful place in the night sky, the waning moon had begun to acquire peak brilliance and softly illuminated Rito's street.<p>

"Whew, what a creepy place…"

Nana scoffed.

Rito chuckled sheepishly in response. Luckily, the alley ended right in front of Rito's house. As they walked up to the door, Rito smoothly stepped ahead of her and held the door open for her. For the first time, Nana felt compelled to acknowledge his gesture.

"Ah, t-thanks."

Nana's stomach twitched. She had certainly not meant to stutter and felt ridiculous. A tint of red fringed her upper cheeks, but she relaxed when she saw Rito nod politely. The instant she stepped into the house, she rushed to her room.

Rito watched her in confusion before shrugging and thinking, 'Maybe she needs to use the lavatory-'

He blinked. 'No one says lavatory anymore…'

Rito called out, "I'm home!"

Mikan responded semi-playfully from upstairs, "Oh goodness, what took you so long? Your dinner's probably cold now!"

Rito laughed lightheartedly and walked towards the kitchen to indulge himself in some of Mikan's scrumptious cooking, although perhaps to a lesser extent due to the temperature.

* * *

><p>Nana shut the door behind her quickly and paused. She exhaled in relief and threw herself onto her bed. The cushiony comforter absorbed her, and she pulled the ribbons out of her hair, letting her ponytails cascade down.<p>

Her door opened right after, and Lala poked in her pink head. Her hair was wet, and Peke, as per the usual, resided snugly near her brow.

"Nana? Are you home?"

"Ah, Ane-ue!"

"Nana, welcome home! How was your shopping day with Rito?"

Nana faltered and replied quietly, "Ah, um… ok, I guess."

"Did you figure out your feelings?"

Looking down, Nana didn't respond right away.

"Nana?"

"I… don't know. I don't dislike him. I-"

Lala interrupted cheerfully, "That's good news! He really is kind, isn't he?"

Slightly thrown off-balance at the interjection, Nana nodded, keeping her eyes toward the bed.

"So, do you like him?"

Nana paled before turning scarlet, "Ehh? I-," she bit her tongue and gave it honest thought.

She felt like she liked him but was restricting herself. She felt like she shouldn't let herself fall for him. It almost felt like she would lose some sort of fight if she fell. She wished she knew what it was.

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><p>That night, she had a dream.<p>

_She leaned lazily on a cherry tree. Around her, she could see blossoms drifting about. Her eyes focused on one large blossom, watching it as it slowly spiraled down. It finally landed on top of something peculiar. _

_A bronze, spiky fruit. A moderate glow surrounded it._

_Surrounding the fruit, a ring of several blossoms lay, some farther than others. Nana looked at the fruit for a moment and wondered why she hadn't noticed it before and how long it had been there. She reached out cautiously to the fruit. As if she had never seen that it was there, a spike lightly pricked her finger. The pain was miniscule and short, but for some reason, it infuriated her like nothing else would. She frowned, but said frown receded when she saw the spike her touches recoil, almost apologetically._

_With growing curiosity, she gazed at the fruit. The longer she looked at it, the shorter the spikes were and the softer and riper the fruit as a whole looked. Once again, she extended an arm to pick it up. This time, she grasped it firmly, and dim rays of light emitted from where her hands touched it. _

_Acting on impulse, she raised the fruit to her mouth and bit down. A rush of flavor erupted in her mouth. The taste was sweet and plentiful. However, as she chewed, the initial tang morphed into a bitterer, lingering flavor. While chewing, she had been inspecting the fruit. The bite in the fruit had an odd effect. Like the sweet flavor faded from her mouth, the color of the fruit gradually faded until at last, when she had fully swallowed the morsel, the fruit became jet black. The ever-present glow surrounding the fruit had dimmed to nothing, and Nana saw her own body glow in its stead. _

_Now, the once brilliant fruit was an onyx, shriveled mess._

Nana's eyes drifted halfway open. The sunlight emanating from her window had pierced her dream. She doubted that she had ever had a more unusual dream.

With a gentle rub of her eyes, she sat up and muttered drowsily, "Bronze and spiky…"

* * *

><p>"What are you doing?"<p>

The cloaked man, who had put his hood down, replied absentmindedly, "Business." His face and piercing yellow eyes betrayed nothing but control and confidence.

"Black. You told me to stay away, and I may still do this, but only if you tell me what's going on."

"Business is business. Mine is mine, and yours is yours."

Yami replied with contained frustration, "If you don't answer my question, I will be forced to make you my business. Who are you targeting?"

"The Devilukean kingdom."

Yami's eyes widened only just, and she said coldly, "Black. If you injure any of the princesses, I will fight you at the very least."

The man seemed not even the tiniest bit perturbed. "Mm. I understand. Usually, I'm not one to initiate such open combat, but I suppose we shouldn't delay. Shall we fight now?"

The fairer assassin glared.

* * *

><p>Momo was waiting for Nana in the living room. Celine was watching T.V. and gave a joyful, little laugh every now and then.<p>

The instant Nana entered, she knew she was in for a teasing. She was right.

"Ahh, Nana! You're so sly. Going on a secret date with Rito…"

Nana felt the tips of her ears burn and responded hastily, "N-no! That's not it!"

"Oh, really?"

Nana fidgeted uncomfortably, wringing her hands behind her back. "Yeah… I was j-just helping him with the groceries."

Momo tilted her head and smirked, "Helping him with _his_ groceries?" She waggled her eyebrows.

Now, Nana tilted her head, "Um, yes?"

Momo began giggling in a rampant fashion.

"What's so funny?"

Momo shook her head and said, "Nothing, nothing. Still, be sure to invite me next time you go on a date with Rito!" She half-skipped away.

"It was NOT a date!" Nana huffed to herself, "That Momo. Always budging into my love life."

After a moment, she went into shock. After one more moment, she became absolutely crimson. Nana shook her head, attempting to dispel her heart attack. Had she really called it THAT?

* * *

><p><strong>Weeee! Things are starting to move.<strong>

**Goodness, when I write, I listen to so much music. Rock, pop, metal, and even jazz and classical (especially classical, seeing as it my niche as far as my performances...) Now and then, hip-hop. Jazz at th- *Ptzztzz***

***In a robotic voice* Can you believe it? I'm back. As a matter of fact, I'll probably be here forever. Never dying. When you're dying, I'll be still alive. And when you're dead, I will be still alive. Just thought I'd let you know.***

***Ptzztzz* -e moment. **

**Remember the three "R"s! Writing, reviewing, and ridiculous ideas!**

**L9erz!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Gomen! **

**I feel like this is coming as too little, too late. But frankly, it's not my fault. My laptop's AC cord finally gave in and I had to wait a week to get a new one…**

**Whew, got that out of the way… **

**Another note, either next chapter or the chapter after will be the last. I'm still deciding on whether to end it with a long chapter, or split it. **

**Anyways, this is small spoiler warning: **_**If you have not read chapter 15 (I believe?) of To-LOVE-Ru Darkness yet, be aware that Yami's real name will be mentioned. **_**Although, if you've read Black Cat (which I haven't done but am debating on doing. Any thoughts on this series?), this shouldn't be a surprise I think. **

**K? Don't own TLR, yada-yada, you know the drill.**

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><p>The black cat glanced at her briefly when she approached her target. With a soft, hardly audible hiss, the feline dashed off.<p>

"Yuuki Rito. Where is the princess?"

"Ah, hello, Yami. Um, if you're talking about Lala, she left earlier than I did since she's on duty today."

Alarmed, the flaxen-haired assassin responded quickly, "So she left alone?"

"Yep. Why?"

"Get to the school as fast as you can." With a soft whoosh, Yami vanished from Rito's sight. He stood for a moment wondering what that was all about. 'If Yami's that rushed, something must be up,' he thought as he began to jog. The thin layer of clouds that blanketed the sky did little to sooth his newfound anxiety.

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><p>From her perch on the top of a telephone pole overlooking the school, she attempted to recall exactly what had happened the day before.<p>

_Yami glared. It was understatement to say she didn't want to hurt him. After how he had treated her, it took a great deal of effort to restrain herself._

"_No."_

_Letting a lazy smirk grace his face, Black chuckled, "Fair enough."_

_And yet, something about the way he said it irked Yami. His slightly gloating tone pushed her closer to the edge. _

_Without changing his self-satisfied tenor, he continued, "Honestly, though, you've changed. I never expected the Golden Darkness to remain on such a weak planet for so long."_

_Yami turned her body away from him, allowing herself to grind her teeth in an effort to limit her emotions. _

"_But not only that. You've embraced weak habits like reading and eating junk food like taiyaki."_

_Her restraint was stretched to its limit now._

"_And as if that wasn't enough. Now, you've effectively finalized the chain that holds you down with useless relationships. Like the one you have with the young Yuuki girl."_

_Snap._

_Yami twisted and lunged at the dark irritant, her razor-sharp blade gleaming. Expecting it, Black raised his black and golden revolver. Yami's arm vibrated when her edge hit the orichalcum barrel of the gun, and a soft, dull ringing buzzed in her ears. Recoiling, she withdrew to several yards away, preparing for his move. With a grim smile, he adjusted his arm, took aim, and fired within the span of a second. Yami fashioned her arm into a square shield in an attempt to block the projectile. Just on time, the bullet deflected off of the shield, but not without cost. Yami's shield reconfigured back into her arm, and she yelped, clutching her wrist. She could almost feel some of the power in her wrist and arm die for a moment._

_With visible glee at her reaction, Black murmured, "Remember, Eve. You aren't the only one with those wonderful nano-machines inside you."_

* * *

><p>'Love life, love life, love life, lo- are you kidding me?' Nana thought in dismay. She glanced at the clock. Rito would be home soon.<p>

"I need to get this sorted out." She ran through a quick list of who she could consult. "Ane-ue? No, I can't come to her again. She'd wonder if I was obsessed with _him_ all of a sudden. Momo? Not a chance. She'd never let me hear the end of it. Mikan? No, somehow, I don't think she'd have much to say. Ah! I know, Haruna can help!"

Grabbing her dedial, she dialed Haruna's number. While the phone rang, she directed her gaze to the open window. The clouds had darkened. Not to the point of becoming rain clouds, but dim and hazy nevertheless.

"Moshi-moshi?"

"Ah, Haruna! It's me, Nana."

"Oh, Nana-chan! What's up?"

Nana hesitated at first, but she knew that she needed to go through with it. She did not have the intention of remaining confused. "Um, what are you doing right now?"

"Just walking home. Why?"

"Do you think I could meet you at your house? I… want to talk about something…"

"Eh? Er, sure, I guess. Was that it? You sound nervous."

Surprised at her observation, she hastily responded, "Y-yeah, that's it. So, see you in a bit?"

"Yep. See ya."

With a quick snap, she closed the dedial. Nana once again glanced out the window.

"Ohh, why am I freaking out about this? I'm a princess of Deviluke concerning myself over…"

Nana shook her head, standing up to leave for Haruna's. Opting for Lala's wing invention, she flew up into the air and just floated there for a moment, and the soft, steady breeze drifted through her rosy hair. Eventually, she pushed off away from Rito's house. As she soared, she observed the people below. Some were walking home from school. On the other hand, Some lingered, often when they were with friends. Nana did her best to avert her gaze from the ones who were so obviously couples.

As if it was perfectly planned out, Haruna's house came into view just as Haruna herself was arriving. Nana paused. Once she organized her jumbled thoughts, she took a deep breath and let the wings glide her to the doorstep.

Haruna turned at the peculiar sound of the wings retracting and exclaimed, "Oh, Nana! Just on time, huh?"

Nana chuckled sheepishly and nodded.

"Well, come in, come in! Ah, excuse the mess. I wasn't very prepared for a guest."

Nana followed her in, and right away, she was greeted by the smallest member of the Sairenji family. Maron sniffed around her feet quickly and looked up at her.

Nana tilted her head at him, "Oh, Maron, hello. Yes, that's me!"

Haruna watched, completely perplexed.

After another few seconds, Nana said to the little terrier, "Don't worry, I won't. Thank s for warning me though." Realizing her rudeness, Nana looked back to Haruna and said hurriedly, "Ah, sorry!"

Haruna laughed nervously, "No problem. I guess you really can talk to animals, huh?"

Nana replied, "Yep. Don't worry, he was just warning me to keep an eye for any flying colors." Scrunching up her face in thought, Nana continued, "I think he means butterflies…"

Haruna didn't know what to say, so she just nodded.

"So, was there something you wanted to speak to me about?"

In an instant, Nana's thinking shifted to an entirely different topic, almost souring her expression.

"Oh, yeah…" Nana muttered. She bit her lip, wondering where to start. She decided it was best to get right to the point.

She said timidly, "Um, ok, don't make fun of me for this! But… how do you know when you like someone?"

Haruna's face took on a pink tinge. "E-eh? What? I don't-" Haruna stopped herself when she saw the look on Nana's cerise face. She was absolutely serious.

"It's… well, it differs for everybody. For most, they are always on your mind and when you're around them you act differently. How you act depends on your personality. Some choose to show as little or as negative an interest as possible. Sometimes, you get embarrassed easily. But, there are a couple ways to know whether you like them. One, if you feel jealous. Two, if you discontented with your relationship." As she finished, Haruna cast her eyes down.

Nana, despite herself, absorbed every word. Without even a pause to think, she asked, "Then, what is love? What's the difference?

Haruna thought for a moment.

"Um… well, love is… when you feel a very strong affection _or_ attraction to another person. But remember, I mentioned two kinds of love. You can love as a sibling. Or you can love romantically."

Nana waited for a moment, expecting more, and then asked, "Is that it? There must be more! How do you know when you truly love someone?

"Well, I once heard it like this: if you love someone, you feel you couldn't live without them or a large part of your life would be missing, almost as if your existence was pointless. However, _true _love can never be claimed with words. Saying you'll give your life for someone isn't the same. True love requires the action."

The incredible implications of such an emotion struck Nana very hard.

* * *

><p>As she flew home, she nearly lost control of her flight while deep in thought. It wasn't love. She knew it wasn't. But she knew for sure it was something. She almost hoped it wasn't. Still, she realized that often times, those potent types of feelings couldn't be voluntarily controlled.<p>

When she knocked on the door to the house, she certainly wasn't expecting Rito to open it. She felt her cheeks warm up.

"Nana? Where were you?"

Nana didn't make eye contact. "N-none of your business!" With a haughty huff, she made a move to enter the house. Of course, her coordination failed her at this time. Her foot caught on the way in, and she gritted her teeth, stretching her arms out to catch herself. Rito did that for her, though.

The boy caught her with an arm on her chest and the other around her waist.

Nana reflected on her luck, 'Of all the times…"

Rito customarily asked, "Oy, are you okay?" By nature, he didn't notice where his hands where until it was too late.

"HEY! Get off me!" Nana shouted frantically, elbowing him in the face.

Rito shrank back right away, exclaiming apologies left and right. Nana just stormed off in a fury up the stairs. At the top of the stairs, she inhaled slowly, attempting to calm down. Why had she gotten so angry? She hated to admit it to herself, but for some reason, it didn't bother her very much, and he was only trying to help. So why? She let go of the breath she was holding.

Nana entered her room, looking forward to some relaxation. She needed to distract herself. Although not at all how she wished it, she got what she wanted. Seconds after entering the room, she saw a hand and cloth rapidly descend on her face. She tried to shout. She tried to scream. But her mind was already gone, and she let herself fall into blackness.

* * *

><p><strong>Surprise? <strong>

**Yup. **

**No message fr- *ptzz***

***In a monotone voice* Yeah, there is, actually. I wonder if this brain has an exit. If not, I wonder if it's possible to make one.**

***ptzz* -om the brain hermit today.**

**This would normally be the part where I ask for review. But honestly. Fics are needed. Write one! :D **

**L9erz!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Ok, let's get this started. I've been busy the past week. I'm back. And I had a can o' Monster this afternoon so LET'S GET THIS STARTED!**

**WARNING! An unnecessary statement follows this line.**

**Don't own TLR**

* * *

><p>Her head pounded. That was the first thing she noticed. At the time, she couldn't even find the strength nor will to lift her eyelids. Her senses were filled with a lack of anything coherent. However, as time passed, the lack was replaced by a less empty lack. Mustering her might, she cracked open her eyes and forced herself to become consciously aware of her surroundings. She could hear nothing. She smelled nothing, but the air felt thick. Or perhaps it was just her mind. Her eyes saw a solid, blurrily textured gray haze far in front of her. It was a moment before her mind processed it as a wall. A faint light shone from above.<p>

A dim throbbing pulsed in her wrists, and her legs felt immobile. Casting her eyes at her lower limbs, she slowly blinked, hoping to boost her vision. Firm coils of metal surrounded her ankles and gave little room to move. With the rush of adrenaline that followed, her eyes widened. Lifting her head, she directed her attention towards the throbbing. Now, panic began to set in as she realized her situation. When her wits had fully come back to her, she gave a strong tug at the chains around her wrists. Before she knew it, she felt her body resonate with excruciating pain that seemed to begin at the base of her back. Her muscles cramped and tightened, and Nana could do nothing but endure until her muscles relaxed.

When she could finally hang limply, she turned her mind to memories, hoping that she would find some explanation for this. Finding nothing clear enough to draw conclusions from, she twisted her head back. In horror, she found a small electrical device hanging on her tail which was held straight out by yet another chain. She dared not struggle again.

* * *

><p>Rito yawned, stretching his arms out to his sides. He didn't expect Kotegawa to be right next to him with a stack of papers. His wayward hand found its way into her chest and scattered her papers simultaneously. Needless to say, she was not very happy.<p>

"Indecent!" she loudly announced, connecting her fist with Rito's chin.

Rito gave a full-hearted apology and a half-hearted "but it wasn't my fault." Nevertheless, Rito stooped to pick up the papers. Kotegawa watched impatiently.

She said to him, "Keep the papers when you're done and take them to Mikado-sensei since you are on duty today."

"Sure, sure." Hoisting up the pile of papers, he made his way out of the classroom.

Lala saw him and called out, "Rito! Are we leaving soon?"

"Not yet, in just a minute! Need to deliver these to Mikado-sensei. Then we go, ok?"

"Okee dokee!"

As he walked through the halls, he glanced out the windows. The clouds had thickened considerably since the day before. Rain was inevitable. Rito turned a corner and found himself at his destination. With a soft knock, he slide the door aside.

"Mikado-sensei?"

"Yuuki-kun?"

"Yup. Here, I have some papers for you."

"Ah, thank you."

Wasting little time, Rito placed the stack on her desk and waved goodbye to her while on his way out. On the way to his locker, he looked out the windows once more. He was rather surprised to see Yami watching from the roof of the next building. Angling his gaze downwards, he saw Lala waiting patiently at the entrance of the school. He smiled.

* * *

><p>"Rito! What kept you?" Lala exclaimed when he reached her.<p>

Rito chuckled, "Ah, well, I ended up helping Sawada with getting her stuff to her locker."

"Wah, so thoughtful, Rito!"

Rito grinned sheepishly with a light tint of pink on his face. They set off for home. However, they didn't get far before something captured their full attention. Rito heard his phone buzz.

"Hmm?" Rito reached down, grabbed it, and saw a message alert. He looked at the caller ID, and curiosity struck him. It read: _RESTRICTED._ Flipping the phone open with his thumb, Rito paused for a moment as the message loaded. The time it took to load seemed longer than usual.

Rito nearly dropped his phone when he saw the picture embedded in the message. He racked his mind, recalling the morning rush. Nana hadn't woken up early like she normally did. He never saw her at breakfast.

Rito's eyes widened, and he said in a troubled tone, "Lala, follow me!" He took off running.

Within a second, Lala caught back up and asked anxiously, "Rito? Why are we running this way? This isn't where home is."

"Here." Rito shoved the phone into her hands. Lala fumbled with it for a moment before she caught it upside down. Even while running and with the screen inverted, she began to take in what she saw. Thrusting the phone into her pocket, she looked at Rito who looked back at her worriedly. They quickened their pace.

* * *

><p>At the specified location, they rushed into the building. A hole in the roof as well as decaying paint gave the room an ominous air. In the center of the room, was Nana, chained and incapacitated. Lala and Rito rushed to her.<p>

Shaking her head weakly, she managed to say, "Lala… Rito… no, you can't come."

Stepping out from behind her, a man in a dark cloak said, "She's right. You shouldn't have come. But here you are." Without another word, he raised his gun and aimed it right at Lala with a point-blank distance between them.

"Oy!" Quickly, Rito placed himself in front of her. Rito's eyes focused on the man. His face clicked in his mind first. His clothes clicked next, bringing his thoughts back to the man in the alley.

With a shaking voice, Rito said, "Black…"

A devious grin adorned the man's face. "Well done, Yuuki Rito! Even after so long, you remember me. Not often do people recall my identity. Although, the fact that those who find out my identity die soon after might have something to do with that. Truly, I'm impressed that you are still alive. Your role as the most-likely next king of Deviluke earns you powerful enemies, no doubt. Even so, it won't be long before all that changes. Even with all of your friends, you are hardly invincible."

Lala exclaimed at this point, "Black! Release Nana! She hasn't done anything wrong. Why would you want her anyways?"

Black tilted his head and answered, "I am an assassin. It's not my job to be concerned about what people do wrong. I'm here with assassination in mind. Quite a tricky business. If I were to kill anyone here, I would be hunted down ceaselessly for ages. Which is why I will have _him_ do it for me."

Without giving them a moment to think about his words, Black moved his arm in Nana's direction. Rito's heighted senses and instinct somehow picked up on every detail, as if in slow motion. Black's sudden change in target. The way his eyes barely narrowed. The clenching of the muscles in his gun-wielding arm.

Releasing a shout, Rito dove in front of Nana as the gunshot resounded through the barren and broken building. The rain had begun to fall.

All at once, Rito fell, Lala screamed, and Black smiled.

The assassin whispered to himself, almost by habit, "Target terminated."

Nana did nothing. Her eyes stared forward, not blinking.

Black did not feel inclined to observe the grim scene. With a subtle huff, he leaped up, exiting through the hole in the ceiling. After glancing down again, he turned and moved to jump to the next building. He did not expect to be tackled out of the air by a black and yellow blur.

He and Yami landed on another rooftop fluidly. Black growled and revealed his gilded revolver once more. He then knew he should have been better prepared for this.

Yami, whose ruby eyes were hidden, said in a soft and hoarse voice, "What have you done…" Her head whipped up to glare at him in fury and hidden anguish, and she shouted, her tone now full of wrath, "What have you DONE?"

She lunged at him, blades gleaming.

* * *

><p>In the building, Lala's cries met the silence sharply. Rito had fallen unconscious instantly. As Lala cradled his head in her lap, a small puddle of sanguine liquid was collecting. Nana, who hadn't moved yet, blinked and cleared her glazed eyes. Slowly and trembling, she looked down and saw exactly what she didn't want to see. A void in Lala's stream of sobbing came about. Just as Lala began to cry again, Nana let out a wordless scream of distress.<p>

Lala heard this, and it brought her abruptly out of her grief. Steeling herself, she reached with clumsy fingers for the phone. It was not long before Mikado arrived in an emergency vehicle. The following events passed by like a blur. Lala held Rito's hand in the vehicle. Nana huddled away, not wanting to look at him. At the teacher's clinic, Mikado quickly put him in an intensive care unit, hiding him from the view of the princesses. Lala contacted home. Mikan was there shortly.

* * *

><p>Yami stepped back, trying to catch her breath. Gritting her teeth, she rushed towards him again. Black dodged and blocked blades from many angles, not bothering to acknowledge the ones that would merely slice his clothes. When he could find a pause in Yami remarkably longwinded attack, he fired back. He never directly hit her, but with his aim and experience, he knew a few bullets had skimmed her.<p>

The battle dragged on minutes at a time, until finally Black's reflexes failed him. His vigor had since faded, and Yami showed little signs of slowing. A silver arc flashed at his leg and made a centimeter-deep gash in his thigh. At that point, he knew he had lost. In such a fight, the slightest hindrance meant death. He jumped back to land on another rooftop and took a knee. Yami's onslaught ceased if only for a moment. By the time she leaped after him, his spacecraft was already above him, and he soon ascended into the ebony hull. The ship accelerated away.

Yami watched the vessel leave. Oh, how she wanted to repay him for who he might have stolen from her. What the boy exactly was to her, she didn't know. Whatever he was, she felt a sudden urge to see him, in hopes that he hadn't left her without a target.

The blonde burst into the clinic and ignored the princess' looks of surprise. She opened the door that led to the intensive care unit and was astonished at the reaction that met her. Mikan, who sat at Rito's bedside, stood hastily and said in a tone Yami had never heard before, "Don't you touch him." Yami looked at her with wide eyes but quickly relaxed. He was alive. Yami looked away and shook her head, leaving the room silently.

* * *

><p>In the lobby, Nana sat with scenarios and outcomes swimming through her mind. Some of them terrified her. But most prominently of all, she remembered the heavy words Haruna had said to her the day before.<p>

_That which requires an action._

* * *

><p><strong>*In my own voice* This is the hermit. I would just like to ask something. If you left, who wouldn't notice, who would forget, who would miss you, and who would come after you? Food for thought.<strong>

**L9erz. **


	8. Epilogue

**So, this is more like an epilogue. So, it's short. I was thinking about ending it with the last chapter, but it felt weird just leaving it where it last left off.**

* * *

><p>Rito cracked his eyes open. With a sigh of realization, he squinted at the light that shone through the hospital room's window. Grimacing, he used some of his limited arm strength to push himself up to a seated position. Using any abdominal or lower chest muscles would be a bad idea, making his arms his only source of mobility for the time being.<p>

Just as he rose, Mikado entered the room. She glanced at him warily and sat down in front of a nearby computer panel. Rito watched her jot down some notes and turn to him.

The doctor said in a calm tone, "You're doing surprisingly well."

At this, Rito let himself smile, slightly sheepishly, and let his head fall back.

The doctor smiled a bit as well and continued with a little smirk, "I'll be honest. I wasn't sure what to expect when you woke up a week ago. But I guess you've already adapted to life with some Devilukean princesses, huh?"

Rito's smile widened for a moment in acknowledgement, but he didn't speak.

Mikado said, "You should be cleared to walk in the next few days. Still, I wouldn't suggest any sort of physical strain for at least two weeks. Maybe more. And trust me, you'll feel it. For now, just take it easy." She left the room moments after.

With another heavy sigh, Rito nodded and inwardly remarked to himself, 'That has to be the sixth time she's said to take it easy.'

Since the assault, things had gone by very quickly for him. He suspected it was the opposite for the girls. He was told that Mikan had been by his side for nearly the entire five-day period in which he was unconscious. Lala was a close second. To his surprise, Yami had visited a few times as well. Mikan had mentioned that Yami had visited twice while he was unconscious and once while he was merely sleeping. Much to his satisfaction, the word hadn't spread until Mikado was sure he'd make a full recovery.

Despite the good news, he was astonished that he had been under for five days. When he asked the doctor, she said it was because Black uses special bullets and that he was lucky the bullet didn't directly hit any of his vital organs. It was a narrow brush with death, and Rito considered himself very lucky to be alive. But his true relief didn't come until he heard the results of the assault. The fact that everyone else was safe was good enough news for him.

* * *

><p>In the lobby, all was still. The room was vacant except for a pink-haired princess who sat in a bland, white chair. It wasn't Lala, and it wasn't Momo.<p>

'I need to talk to him! At least to thank him!'

'Oh, come on. You're a princess. You could have any Devilukean doing that for you.'

'But no one has done this before… especially of their own free will…'

'Think about how you'd look! Surely, he'd look at you differently if you let yourself show weakness!'

'But… no. It isn't weakness. It's just gratitude.'

'If it's just gratitude, why are you reacting so extremely?'

And so, Nana fought a mental battle with herself for what felt like hours, and yet only several minutes passed. Dignity fought modesty. Ego fought meekness. Pride fought - - -.

It was only a matter of time before she stood and stiffly, nervously, and carefully walked towards Rito's door. She took a deep breath and grasped the doorknob. With a delicate twist, she cracked the door open a few inches.

When she peered inside, she saw Rito look at the door and tilt his head. For some reason, she found this oddly relaxing. A bit of her uneasiness was washed away with his light-hearted gesture. Pushing the door the rest of the way open, she stepped in and shut the door behind her.

"Nana? What's going on?"

She shook her head, struggling to contain a small smile. Eventually, she failed, but she tilted her head down slightly so as to not give it away. Nana walked to his bedside and took a seat.

At this point, Rito was a bit concerned. "Nana? Is everything okay? Your eyes are red. Are you tired?"

Nana looked up at him, rather taken aback. She didn't expect him to notice her eyes anymore than she noticed them. However, she supposed it was for the best that he attributed the redness to tiredness although that wasn't the case. Again, she shook her head.

Rito didn't speak for a short while. Even though Nana was thinking, it didn't reach him, and he just felt awkward.

"Uh, Nan-"

"Why did you do it?"

Rito blinked, startled that she finally spoke. "Um, do what?"

"You know."

Getting his head together, he finally put the pieces in place. "Ah! Well, y'know… you're a friend of mine and Lala's sister. By that extent, I feel I should care for you and be responsible for you, I guess. I mean, come on, I couldn't just let him shoot you."

Nana closed her eyes. She wished he hadn't said "shoot." Regardless of how she tried to repress it, a single tear escaped her eyelid and slid down her cheek.

Alarmed, Rito softly exclaimed, "Hey! What's the matter?" He hesitantly reached an arm out to wipe the tear away, half afraid she would snap at him again.

With Rito's hand part-way to her face, she said suddenly, "Rito. I feel something for you."

To say Rito was shocked would be exactly true. Before he could react, Nana continued.

"Wait. I… never said I like or… l-love you. But this whole issue with Black… put things in perspective… that's all."

Rito loosened up a bit. He understood, even though it did make him a bit anxious. Cautiously, he placed a hand on her shoulder.

Without warning, Nana leaned down and gently brushed her lips on his cheek. It was quick and tense, and if not for her hold on her composure, she may have acted as startled as Rito felt. Turning sharply, she walked towards the door, pausing in front of it. She looked back at the boy and allowed him a gracious smile. Rito just stared with an astounded look on his face.

Without losing her smile, Nana turned to the door and exited the room.

Rito sat for a bit, lost in thought.

He then sighed, "Ahhh, I'll never understand Nana Aster Deviluke."

* * *

><p><em><strong>Armor stands at the forefront,<strong>_

_**Sometimes hiding, sometimes gleaming.**_

_**The armor reveals**_

_**That which is conscious**_

_**But what exists not.**_

_**But under a light,**_

_**Armor fades**_

_**Not to clear.**_

_**The balance is shifted**_

_**By the wearer's staff.**_

_**Ever staunch, ever present,**_

_**Dependable.**_


End file.
